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Citizens Police Academy
In the spring of 1992, the Fort Worth Police Department Training Division graduated 43 citizens from the first citizen training academy. The curriculum and teaching methods were similar to the traditional police academy, but the students were not police candidates. The class members were a cross-section of the Fort Worth community; i.e., homemakers, professional business persons, retirees and neighborhood watch members.
The first Police Night School was held in England in 1977 by the Devon and Cromwall Constabulary and met with immediate success. Citizens were anxious to learn operations of their police force which heretofore were obscure and private. Shortly afterward, the Orlando, Florida Police Department conducted the first Citizens Police Academy in the United States. The Orlando Citizens Police Academy was patterned after the English Police Night School. Since that time, other law enforcement agencies throughout the United States have developed and conducted various versions of the Citizen Police Academy.
Graduates of the Fort Worth Police Department Citizens Police Academy will not be commissioned law enforcement officers nor vigilantes. They will be more familiar with the operations of the Fort Worth Police Department and will gain a deeper understanding of the problems and policies facing Fort Worth Police Officers.
The training program consists of classroom and "hands on" instruction to provide the public with a working knowledge of the Fort Worth Police Department. Participants will meet for three hours once each week during the 8 to 12 week course. Instruction will be comprehensive, and each week a different area(s) of the police department will be covered, with each session facilitated by the officers and supervisors who work in that particular unit. Topics covered will include the officer use of firearms and deadly force options, criminal investigative skills, crime scene search, communications, narcotics, area gangs, specialized units, tactical operations and community involvement.
It is the goal of the Fort Worth Police Department that after you complete this program, you will have enough information to dispel any suspicions and misconceptions about the law enforcement role in our criminal justice system. We hope you will develop an appreciation for the Fort Worth Police Department as our community continues to grow and that you will educate others on what you have learned when the opportunity arises. After completion you will have the opportunity to engage in volunteer opportunities with FWPD as a Citizens Police Academy Alumni.
General Interests
Graffiti Abatement
Information On Our Volunteer Projects
Graffiti Scavenger Hunts, Sign Up Today!
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Our graffiti scavenger hunts are designed for individuals and larger groups who would like to volunteer with us. The group for the day will be split into two or three smaller groups and from there search for graffiti within Downtown Fort Worth.
You will be given a guideline of popular locations and asked to log these locations in the MyFW app. Doing so will assist our team with the actual coordinates of the graffiti, for quick removal the next day.
Purpose
To help reduce and discourage criminal defacement of private and public property and make Fort Worth an even more beautiful community.
Duties
In this very visible role, you’ll attack graffiti by reporting graffiti locations in the myFW app. You will be walking around Downtown Fort Worth searching for graffiti in the area, we will give you a few clues and locations to get you started. Once you find a location you will use the myFW app to document the graffiti. At the end of your scavenger hunt, we will tally all findings and determine a winner.
Location
The starting location for all scavenger hunts will be in front of the Chisholm Trail Mural near the Starbucks in Sundance Square (141 W 3rd St, Fort Worth, TX 76102). Throughout the duration of the scavenger hunt, you will be walking in different areas downtown, by the end of your hunt, you will meet back at our starting location.
Our scavenger hunts are a self-guided volunteer opportunity. Your host will meet you at the beginning of the hunt and will be on-site when you finish. If you are needing any assistance throughout your volunteer day, you will be given an on-site number to call.
Time Frame
Typically a 2 to 4-hour shift.
Qualifications
- Are okay with outdoor activities.
- If you are under the age of 18 you might be accompanied by an adult.
- Must download the MyFW app to your personal cell phone. Click here to download the myFW App
- Must wear comfortable shoes for walking.
Police Department - Citizens on Patrol
Thank you for your interest in Citizens on Patrol (COP)
Citizens on Patrol volunteers act as additional "eyes and ears" for the Fort Worth Police Department, within neighborhoods. Citizens volunteer time to actively patrol their neighborhoods to watch for and report suspicious and/or criminal activity. They receive training involving vehicle, bicycle, and foot patrol and the use of their radio. Volunteers choose the days and times they wish to patrol and they adhere to no fixed schedule.
